Customer Service

FAQS about Spirulina and Astaxanthin

SPIRULINA QUESTIONS

Q: What is Spirulina?

A: Spirulinais microscopic blue green vegetable microalgae that grow naturally in fresh water ponds and lakes in warm, sunny environments. Spirulina has been used as a food source for centuries. It is considered the most complete naturally cultivated nutrient in the world, and Hawaiian Spirulina has approximately double the levels of key nutrients compared to other brands.

•Contains more carotenoids than any other whole food and an excellent source of Vitamins A, K, B12 and Iron, Manganese and Chromium

•Best wholefood source of gamma linoleic acid (GLA) – an essential fatty acid, necessary for human health. It plays a crucial role in brain function as well as normal growth and development.

•Rich in vitamins, minerals, trace elements, chlorophyll and enzymes

Q: What are the benefits of using Spirulina?

A: In addition to being a wonderful source of protein, Spirulina contains more carotenoids than any other whole food. It is also rich in anti-oxidants and phytonutrients. There is overwhelming clinical evidence to show that Hawaiian Spirulina Pacifica will support cardiovascular, eye and brain health, boost immunity, boost energy levels, support healthy skin and combat age related macular degeneration.

Q: How is Hawaiian Spirulina Pacifica grown?

A: Hawaiian Spirulina Pacifica® is the only Spirulina cultivated in a Biosecure Zone, certified free of pesticides, herbicides and industrial pollutants in Kona, Hawaii, the sunniest coast in the USA. Each pond is fed with 100% potable drinking water from Hawaiian aquifers and pure deep ocean water with 94 beneficial trace minerals. It is guaranteed GMO Free and non-irradiated.

Q: Who should use Hawaiian Spirulina Pacifica?

A: Everyone! Hawaiian Spirulina Pacifica is an ideal food supplement for people of all ages and lifestyles. While we all strive to eat a well-balanced diet, our active lifestyles and easy access to processed food often prevent us from getting all the nutrition we need to maintain our health. The National Research Council Committee on Diet and Health recommends that we eat 5-9 servings of fruit and vegetables a day. One serving of Hawaiian Spirulina Pacifica has the equivalent of 5 servings of fruits and vegetables and more nutrition than any other single whole food.

Q: What makes Hawaiian Spirulina Pacifica different from other Spirulina brands?

A: The key factors that make Spirulina Pacifica unique are:

•Continuous cultivation - Since 1985, Nutrex Hawaiian Spirulina Pacifica® has been in constant production 12 months out of the year – creating a superior strain of Spirulina with the highest levels of key nutrients of any Spirulina in the world.

•Location - the only Spirulina grown on the pristine coast of Kona, Hawaii, a site with more coastal sunlight than any other area of the United States. Constant exposure to sunlight ensures high levels of carotenoids are present in the Spirulina.

•Water - Nutrex Hawaiian Spirulina Pacifica® is cultivated in open ponds using a combination of 100% fresh potable water from Hawaiian aquifers and ultra-pure, deep ocean water. The ocean water enriches Spirulina Pacifica with 94 minerals and trace elements. (All other Spirulina farms use river water or irrigation water for cultivation.)

•Patented Drying system - Nutrex Hawaii developed Ocean Chill Drying™ especially to eliminate the oxidation of carotenes, enzymes and fatty acids that occurs in standard dryers. The closed system process takes 3-7 seconds and uses less than one percent oxygen to preserve the phytonutrients. This patented system relies on very cold deep ocean water to provide dehumidification and is unique to Hawaiian Spirulina®.

Q: What are some of the key nutrients in Hawaiian Spirulina Pacifica?

A: It is a complete protein with high levels of anti-oxidants, vitamins and phytochemicals including:

•Beta Carotene: Necessary for healthy skin, good vision, and a healthy immune system.

Q: Should I be concerned about the high amount of Vitamin A in Hawaiian Spirulina?

A: No, the Vitamin A activity of Hawaiian Spirulina comes from natural beta carotene. Beta carotene is a precursor to Vitamin A--the human body converts beta carotene into Vitamin A on an as-needed basis. There is no toxicity level for beta carotene, so there is no need to worry about taking too much.

Q: Are the Spirulina tablets absorbed by the body as well as the powder is?

A: In terms of absorption, the tablets take longer to breakdown once ingested, but this can actually be a good thing. There are many enzymes in Hawaiian Spirulina (for example SOD or Super Oxide Dismutase, which is an outstanding antioxidant the human body actually produces itself as a defense mechanism against harmful reactive oxygen species). Enzymes are often destroyed by stomach acids during digestion, but the beautiful thing about taking Spirulina in tablets is that they are only partially digested in the stomach, and then complete digestion in the intestines. In the intestines there are no stomach acids present, so you can get the full benefit of these vital enzymes.

Q: Why don’t you cultivate Chlorella?

A: Spirulina offers a much broader array of nutritional benefit than chlorella. Our feeling is: “Why should we cultivate the second best Superfood when we already cultivate the best?”

Q: How do you store Spirulina?

A: The single most important thing you can do to preserve Spirulina once it has been opened is to refrigerate it- if kept cold (or even frozen) there should be a negligible loss of nutrients. If a 5lb. bag is ordered we recommend filling up a smaller jar for daily use and storing the remainder of the bag in an air tight zip lock bag in your refrigerator.

Q: Can children take Hawaiian Spirulina?

A: Hawaiian Spirulina is just a food and can be given to children. In fact, it’s a great benefit to children who don’t like to eat vegetables. The powder can be easily mixed in a smoothie or a shake. Depending on the age of the child, the dosage should be decreased from that of an adult which is one teaspoon or six 500mg tablets.

Q: Can pregnant woman take Spirulina Pacifica?

A: Yes. The key things in Spirulina for pregnant and nursing mothers are iron, calcium and protein and most important the bioavailability of all the nutrition. As always, please discuss your Spirulina use with your primary care doctor or practitioner.

Q: Does Hawaiian Spirulina contain Iodine?

A: The small amount of Spirulina consumed daily plus the fact that iodine occurs in only trace quantities makes the Spirulina’s iodine most likely no problem for people with hypothyroidism. A daily serving of 3 grams of Spirulina provides approximately 15mcg (micrograms) of iodine which is ten percent of the US recommended daily intake for iodine (150mcg)

Q: Since Hawaiian Spirulina contains iron and is a source of vitamin K1 & K2, is it safe for anyone to take, regardless of their age?

A: Spirulina is safe for all ages, however if you are taking any prescription or over-the-counter medication, we suggest you consult your physician.

BIOASTIN QUESTIONS

Q: Why should I take BioAstin?

A: BioAstin Hawaiian Astaxanthin is a red carotenoid and has powerful antioxidant benefits and has been clinically validated in human studies as a safe and natural.

BioAstin supports:

•Eye and Brain Health*

•Joint and tendon health*

•Cardiovascular health*

•Skin health*

Additionally, BioAstin is recommended for increasing sports performance and recovery from exercise.*

Q: How much BioAstin should I take?

A: If you are taking BioAstin specifically for joint health, we recommend that you take our max dosage of 12 mg per day. After a month, you may cut back on taking BioAstin to 4-8mg per day, as you see fit. If you are taking as a general means of staying healthy, we recommend 4-6 mg of BioAstin per day.

Q: Why is Astaxanthin such an impressive antioxidant?

A: Essentially, aging is rusting. We can help prevent rusting by eating fruits and vegetables as well as taking supplements like BioAstin Astaxanthin. The nutrients found in these foods are like anti-rust nutrients. For example, if you take and apple or avocado and expose it to air for a few hours, the fruit will start to turn brown. What's happening is the that it's oxidizing or "rusting". But, if you sprinkle lemon juice which contains antioxidants on the fruit, it won't rust.

Astaxanthin is one of the world's strongest antioxidants; it's 5,000 times stronger than vitamin C (found in lemons) and much stronger than other well known antioxidants like green tea and CoQ10.

Q: Can children take BioAstin?

A: There are not specific trials in children, but since this is a natural product and is commonly eaten in many fish and seafood species, there is no reason to suspect that it would be harmful to anyone. Here at Nutrex Hawaii we don’t think that a 4 mg softgel is necessary for a child under the age of 10, so you may want to puncture the softgel and use only half the contents each day mixed into food. Try to ensure that it is consumed quickly as it will start to lose potency. For children under 2 years of age, we don’t think it’s necessary to supplement their diets with BioAstin.

Q: What are the MD Formulas?

A: The MD Formulas are a series of high-powered, clinically validated supplements formulated by a team of medical doctors and nutritional experts. Each formula combines BioAstin Hawaiian Astaxanthin with thoroughly researched, clinically validated and branded ingredients. Each MD Formula supports a specific health condition: eye, cardiovascular, neurological, joint and skin.* They are all natural, pesticide and herbicide free; contain no gluten, no lactose, no preservatives or solvents.

GENERAL QUESTIONS

Q: What are the key differences between Hawaiian Spirulina and BioAstin Hawaiian Astaxanthin?

Q: Are there any side effects from taking BioAstin and Hawaiian Spirulina?

A: Spirulina and BioAstin are whole food nutritional supplements developed from microalgae. As such, they are highly nutritious food. There are no known side effects or contraindications for either BioAstin or Hawaiian Spirulina.

Q: Can I take BioAstin and Spirulina together?

A: Yes. BioAstin and Spirulina work well with each other when taken together as they have different benefits.

Q: What time of day should I take BioAstin/Spirulina?

A: You can take BioAstin any time of day, however Spirulina should be taken at least four hours prior to sleep as some people will notice a boost in energy. We suggest that the best time to take it is in the morning. The daily serving can be taken all at once or throughout the day- it will be effective either way.

Q: Should I take your products with or without food?

A: BioAstin should be taken with food, preferably something that has fat in it, as fat will help with the absorption rate in the body. Spirulina, on the other hand, does not need to be taken with a food as it is considered a food itself.

Q. What measures are taken to monitor the purity of your product, from batch to batch?

A: Once produced, our Hawaiian Spirulina Pacifica is subjected to 15 different quality tests. Any lot failing even one of these stringent tests is rejected. Purity issues are common with low quality Spirulina coming from developing countries. We take our reputation for producing the highest quality, purest and cleanest Spirulina in the world very seriously. In addition to our 15 in-house quality tests, we also regularly verify our own results with independent lab analyses.

Q: Are your products impacted by the radiation from the Fukushima Nuclear Plant in Japan? How do I know they are safe?

A: Fortunately, Fukushima has not affected Hawaii or our Spirulina or our Astaxanthin. Though we haven’t had any problems with radiation, we do testing in our labs and we send samples to an outside lab for radiation testing. Each test has come back negative for radiation. Our Spirulina and Astaxanthin products are not grown in the ocean- they are grown in lined, fresh water ponds. The 5% sea water mixture in the Spirulina is pumped from 2000 ft below the ocean surface and has not seen the surface in over 2000 years. It pretty much some of the purest water you can find.

Spirulina is actually quite beneficial to people who have radiation poisoning. It is given to people in Chernobyl for nutrition and has had fantastic results with healing the damage.

Q: Do you farm the Spirulina and BioAstin on the Big Island of Hawaii?

A: All of Nutrex’s Spirulina and BioAstin is grown on our farm (Cyanotech Corp.) located in the Natural Energy Lab Facility.

Q: Can you give Hawaiian Spirulina or BioAstin to your pets?

A: Yes. Our products are very beneficial for dog and cats. The dosage should be reduced based on the weight of the animal. For small pets less than under 20 lbs. poke the BioAstin gelcap and squeeze a few drops on your pet’s food.

Q: Are any of your products synthetically made?

A: No. Both BioAstin and Hawaiian Spirulina are naturally grown in the Hawaiian Sun.

AUTO-DELIVERY PROGRAM

Q: What's the Auto-Delivery program & how does it work?

A: Auto-delivery is our convenient replenishment program that insures that you always have either BioAstin or Hawaiian Spirulina on hand, at a 20% discount with free shipping! The shipping schedule is set to default to ship in 1-2 month increments, but you can customize the shipping schedule any way you'd like to.

After placing an Auto-delivery orders, you don't need to reorder the item again. You'll be billed for your first shipment after payment has been processed. Subsequent shipments will be billed at the locked-in 20% discount price and automatically sent on a regular shipping schedule (for example, approximately every 30 or 60 days) or on a schedule you customize. Delivery and billing are repearted until you cancel your Auto-delivery. You can cancel your Auto-delivery at any time.